


Fire of Love

by TheProdigalSapphist



Category: Holby City
Genre: Angst, Domestic, F/F, berena - Freeform, bernie not being able to handle emotions, difficult second fic, gays with fire, holby city - Freeform, sorry I mention Robbie at one point, trust me it has a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 07:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14890580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheProdigalSapphist/pseuds/TheProdigalSapphist
Summary: Bernie has her own flat but never uses it. Her entire life and most of the clothes she owns now cover the floor of Serena’s bedroom. But Serena has had enough of the mess and Bernie is forced to tidy up.But Bernie finds a mysterious item of clothing under the bed... *cue walking angst nuke that is Berenice Griselda Wolfe*





	Fire of Love

**Author's Note:**

> So here’s the difficult second fic. It’s taken me ages to write but thank you to [Fourteen_thirty_two](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fourteen_thirty_two/pseuds/Fourteen_thirty_two) and [Requin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Requin/pseuds/Requin%20) for giving me some pointers.
> 
> Title is stolen from Jesse Jo Stark’s single Fire of Love. Check it out because it’s awesome.

It all started on a cold day in December. Bernie had the day off and was tasked with cleaning the house. Despite not actually living there, it looked like Bernie's life had exploded in Serena's bedroom and Serena had finally put her foot down: tidy up or bugger off to your own flat. Bernie knew it was an empty threat - Serena loved nothing more than Bernie in her bed each night. But Bernie was a guest in Serena's house. And she'd run out of clean underwear. So clean the house, or at least remove her dirty clothes from the floor, she must. And it was when she was retrieving a stray t-shirt from under the bed that she found it: a man’s sock.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bernie was sat at the kitchen table when she heard Serena's keys in the door. After dropping her work bag on the floor and hanging up her coat, Serena walked over to Bernie and kissed her on the temple.

“Hello you. You smell nice.”

Bernie sighed. Serena headed for the kettle.

“How was your day? Did you tidy the bedroom? I’m not lending you my underwear because you’ve run out of your own. I don’t know how a woman who was in the army for so long can be so messy.”

Serena clicked on the kettle and busied herself with fetching two mugs, turning to face her partner when no reply came to her questions.

“Bernie?”

Bernie stared at Serena, and presented the sock to her.

“I found this under the bed.”

“I’m not surprised - your stuff seems to have gotten everywhere.” Serena carried on making the drinks. “The messiness was endearing to start with but it’s getting a little tiresome now. You left your running clothes in the ensuite yesterday.”

“It's a sock.” Bernie announced.

Serena sighed and turned to face Bernie.

“Yes Bernie I can see that.”

The blonde once again remained silent. Serena pinched the bridge of her nose - she’d left Bernie alone for one afternoon and it felt like coming home to a disapproving Labrador.

“Right, glad we cleared that up.”

The kettle clicked off and Serena made them a drink each, placing Bernie's in front of her. Serena leant against the counter, tea in hand. She rolled her eyes at her pouty girlfriend.

“What's this about Bernie? Out with it. I don’t need this after the day I’ve had.”

“I think it's Robbie’s.”

“The sock?” Serena scoffed “Don’t be silly it's probably Jason's.”

“We both know Jason would make it devastatingly clear if he'd lost a sock. Remember that time you did his washing and lost one of his favourites?”

Serena laughed.

“Yes, it took me weeks to find a replacement pair. So it's not Jason's then.”

“I think it's Robbie’s.”

“Hmmm you said.” Serena took a sip of her tea. “Wait, you don't think…? I haven't been sleeping with Robbie!”

“Not recently anyway.”

Serena felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Were they really still arguing about this?

“Is it from when I was in Kiev?” As soon as she said it Bernie regretted it, but the words just fell out of her.

“Yeah. Not a strong moment for either of us that one, was it?”

Bernie could feel tears in her eyes. She breathed deeply, trying to control herself.

Serena tried to fight the anger building in her chest.

“And that was at his house anyway. I can't say it was worth it either. Robbie bringing my knickers to work and waving them around for all to see? I'll not forget that in a hurry.”

Bernie couldn't look at Serena.

“And of course I regret it because it hurt you.”

Bernie stared at her own drink.

“Bernie we talked about this. I was confused. And I missed you. You just up and left right after you turned my life upside down!”

Silence.

Kiev was like a wound that wouldn’t heal. There was always something to remind them of that time they were apart; the time Bernie ran away scared and Serena ran into another’s arms. With both of them at fault, neither could win this argument. It just festered.

“I just don't like that other people have been in your bed.” Bernie finally muttered.

Serena raised an eyebrow.

“I'm not a nun Berenice.”

“No. I mean...I don’t mean that.”

How could Bernie explain the jealousy that festered inside of her? Here was Serena, willing to share her life with Bernie, and she couldn’t get over one bloody sock. Bernie felt caught in the headlights. Her emotions had her by the throat. Serena Bloody Campbell would be the death of her.

Serena took a step towards her.

She could see that Serena was getting impatient. Why create drama over a sock and then not be able to explain yourself? She wasn’t sure she could run back to Kiev over a sock.

“Bernie, look…”

It was now or never.

“The sock reminds me that...well, other people have shared your life. And they didn’t treat you how I would. Can. Will. They didn’t treat you how you should be treated Serena.”

“Ah.”

“And...I just ran away. I left when I should have been…”

“In my bed?” Serena interjected with a smirk.

Bernie blushed. She stood up and walked over to Serena, grasping her hand.

“We wasted so much time Serena.”

Serena reached out and touched Bernie’s face. Her big macho army medic was maybe not as macho as she made out.

“I know my love. But we both needed that time to work it all out. And we’re together now, that’s what matters.”

“Can we burn the sock?” The words just burst out of Bernie.

Serena frowned. “Erm, yes..? If you think it will help.”

“It will. I’ll find the matches.” And Bernie rushed off, a woman on a mission.

“Right. Well. I’ll go and get changed then.”

~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Serena had showered and changed, Bernie had already found the matches and dug the BBQ out of the shed. She was waiting patiently in the garden as Serena emerged from the kitchen. Two glasses of Shiraz were waiting on the table. Bernie gestured to them vaguely.

“I presumed you’d want wine.”

“You presumed right.” Serena beamed at Bernie. “So what’s the plan?”

Bernie brandished the sock on a BBQ fork, lighter fluid in her other hand.

“I’m going to cover the sock in lighter fluid, place it on the BBQ with a few old newspapers I found in the garage and throw a match in its general direction.”

“Right-ho Major. Off you go then. All those years in the army makes you much more qualified to deal with fire and explosions.”

“If it explodes then I’ve done something very wrong.” Bernie muttered as she turned back to the BBQ and covered the sock with lighter fluid. She dropped the sock on the kindling and took a few steps back. Serena came to stand next to her.

“I feel like we should make a wish or a speech or...do something symbolic.”

“Setting fire to Robbie’s clothing feels pretty symbolic to me.” Bernie said as she lit a match.

“Here’s to leaving the past in the past.” Serena announced as Bernie threw the match into the BBQ, the sock bursting into flames instantly.

Serena reached for Bernie’s hand and they watched the fire until the first flames died down.

“Shall we take a seat Ms. Wolfe?” Serena nodded towards the bench behind them. Bernie nodded, picking up the wine from the table as they passed it.

They sat on the bench in the garden, shoulder to shoulder, Shiraz in hand. Serena laughed and put her hand on the blonde’s knee.

“Bernie, I’m pretty sure that sock was one of Cam’s.”

Bernie winced. “Yeah I thought that as soon as I set fire to it. I’ve been an idiot haven’t I?”

“Well you’ve always been more action than words. But I still love you.”

Bernie smiled and Serena pulled her close, kissing her softly.

“And I can’t lie, it’s nice to be sitting in the garden with my favourite trauma surgeon, a bottle of Shiraz and a fire.”

They both stared into the fire again, Serena leaning against her partner and Bernie wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry I got jealous.”

“You know what Bernie, you might not have been the first person in my bed but I really hope you’ll be the last.”

Bernie laced her fingers with Serena’s.

“Jason’s not back ‘til Thursday you say?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally my second fic so if you liked it please comment and kudos as this queer needs validation :)


End file.
